Sanitary napkins, panty liners, urine-absorbing pads and the like have conventionally been known as absorbent articles for absorbing discharged matter such as bodily fluid. These absorbent articles include an absorbent core for absorbing and holding bodily fluid or the like, a liquid permeable top sheet that is disposed on a skin contacting side of the absorbent article, and a liquid impermeable back sheet that is disposed on a clothing contacting side of the absorbent article. For example, these absorbent articles can be used in a state of being adhered to the internal surface of underwear.
In order to reliably trap the discharged matter discharged from an excretory part of a wearer, it is desired that such absorbent articles be used in a state where an absorbing portion of the absorbent core adheres to the excretory part. If there is a space between the excretory part and the absorbing portion, the discharged matter dropped on the top sheet may effuse along the top sheet toward sides of the absorbent article and the buttocks, resulting in leakage and soiling of the underwear and clothing.
However, in a case where the absorbing portion of the absorbent articles adheres to the excretory part of a wearer while wearing, for example, if a large amount of bodily fluid and the like is discharged at once, the discharged matter may effuse toward sides of the absorbent article and buttocks before being absorbed by the absorbent core, thereby causing leakage. In addition, for example, since the absorptive portion adheres to the excretory part of a wearer, the discharged matter such as bodily fluid and the like may come into direct contact with a wearer's skin before being absorbed, whereby comfort is diminished.
In contrast, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Hei 10-99372 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1) discloses an absorbent article that can be used in a state of being deformed into a desired shape under a compressing force from a wearer's thigh, by way of grooves formed by a first flexible shaft and a second flexible shaft that are embossed from the skin contacting side and the clothing contacting side respectively, on a reverse side of a side being embossed.